Liquid-pourers

ABSTRACT

A liquid-pourer of molded plastics has a spout-portion ( 1, 17 ) with a spigot ( 7, 18 ) for insertion into a neck ( 11, 20 ) of a bottle ( 10, 19 ) for pouring liquid from it. Two complimentary segmental passageways ( 4, 5 ) extend lengthwise through the cylindrical spout-portion ( 1, 17 ) for discharge of liquid and admission of air to the bottle ( 10, 19 ) respectively. An elongate handle-portion ( 2, 24 ) extends both upwardly and rearwardly from the spout-portion ( 1, 17 ) to overlie the bottle ( 10, 19 ) to allow balance in holding it with the air passageway ( 5 ) above the pouring passageway ( 4 ). A ring ( 6 ) on the handle-portion ( 2 ) retains the cap of the bottle ( 10 ), and the spout-portion ( 1, 17 ) is attached to the bottle-neck ( 11, 20 ) by a screw-threaded collar ( 8 ), or a spring clip ( 15  FIG.  5 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to liquid-pourers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention a liquid-pourer for attachment to theneck of a bottle, comprises a spout-portion having a rear end forcoupling to the bottle-neck and two elongate passageways extendingparallel to one another between the rear and front ends of thespout-portion to open into and from the bottle, a first of thepassageways being operative for discharging liquid in pouring from thebottle and the second passageway being operative for admitting air tothe bottle when the second passageway is located above the first duringpouring, and an elongate handle-portion attached to the spout-portion toextend both upwardly and rearwardly to overlie the bottle when thesecond passageway is above the first during pouring as aforesaid.

The spout-portion, which may have a spigot at its rear end for entryinto the bottle-neck, may be generally cylindrical in the latter case,the two passageways may be of complementary segmental cross-section andextend parallel to one another lengthwise of the spout-portion.

The liquid-pourer according to the invention may include means forscrew-thread attachment of the spout-portion to the neck of the bottle.Alternatively, it may include to the same end, a resilient clip-elementfor snap engagement under a portion of the neck of the bottle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Two forms of liquid-pourer according to the present invention will nowbe described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the front of a first of the twoliquid-pourers according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevation to an enlarged scale, of part ofthe liquid-pourer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the liquid-pourer of FIG. 1 attached to a bottle;

FIG. 4 is a sectional side-elevation of the second liquid-poureraccording to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is illustrative of attachment of the liquid-pourer of FIG. 4 to abottle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first liquid-pourer is of mouldedplastics and has a substantially cylindrical spout-portion 1 that is forcoupling to the screw-threaded neck of a bottle. A handle-portion 2 foruse in holding and guiding the pourer during use, is moulded integrallywith the spout-portion 1 and extends both upwardly and rearwardly from ahead-part 3 of it. Two passageways 4 and 5 of complementary segmentalcross-section extend parallel to one another from front to rear of thespout-portion 1, the passageway 4 being for discharge of liquid from thebottle during pouring, whereas the passageway 5 is for admitting air tofacilitate smoothness of that discharge. In this regard, the passageway5 is located closer to the handle-portion 2 so as to be above thepassageway 4 when the handle-portion 2 is held during pouring.

The handle-portion 2 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the portion 1in a generous curve to terminate in an integral ring 6. The ring 6 isfor use in retaining, by push fit, the cap of the bottle to which thepourer is attached. In this regard, once the cap of the bottle has beenremoved and located in the ring 6, the spout-portion 1 is located on thebottle. More particularly, a rearwardly-projecting spigot 7 of thespout-portion 1 is entered in the neck of the bottle to bring aninternally-threaded collar 8 of the head-part 3 into engagement with theexternal screw-thread of the bottle-neck; the collar 8 is mouldedseparately from the rest of the pourer and is snapped, fixedly andwater-tightly, onto the head-part 3. The pourer is then screwed onto thebottle-neck to hold it fast to the bottle as illustrated in FIG. 3.

With the pourer screwed to a cylindrical (2 liter) bottle 10 asillustrated in FIG. 3, the handle-portion 2 extends outwardly from thebottle-neck 11 and down alongside, but spaced from, the cylindricalbottle-wall 12. The configuration of the handle-portion 2 is convenientfor holding with one hand, whether carrying the bottle 10 upright orinclined away from the vertical for pouring. Whatever orientation of thebottle 10 is desired, and whatever its liquid content, there is ingeneral a suitable location on the handle-portion 2 where it can bereadily held comfortably by hand, with good balance.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the spout-portion 1 has a screw-threadednose 13 that allows, for example, a rose or other spray-producingaccessory, to be coupled to the pourer for use during pouring. Moreover,it allows the bottle-cap 14 retained by the ring 6 (FIG. 3) to beremoved and screwed onto the pourer to cap it and the bottle 10 as onewhile they remain attached to one another.

The pourer described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 is attached tothe bottle 10 by means of screw-threaded interengagement between thecollar 8 and the bottle-neck 11. However, except when the bottle 10 isheld vertical, most of its weight is taken by the spigot 7 entered inthe neck 11 so attachment of the pourer to the bottle need not be heavy.An alternative form of the pourer in which attachment is by means of aclip, is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the liquid-pourer in this case is moulded asone piece with a clip element 15 attached to a circumferential rim 16 ofthe spout-portion 17. When the spigot 18 of the portion 17 is insertedin a bottle 19, the rim 16 is brought down onto the top of thebottle-neck 20 with the element 15 extending down the outside of theneck 20. The element 15 has a hook-end 21 and a degree of resilience initself and in its attachment to the rim 16 by which the hook-end 21snaps under the bottom rim 22 of the neck 20 as the rim 16 comes intoabutment with the top of the neck 20, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Thisholds the rim 16 hard on the neck 20 to retain the pourer firmly andwater-tightly attached to the bottle 19. Release of the pourer fromattachment to the bottle 19 is achieved by pulling a lever-arm 23 of theclip-element 15 upwardly, so as to free the hook-end 21 from the rim 22.

The handle-portion 24 in this case is shown without provision forholding the cap of the bottle 19.

The liquid-pourers described above may be readily used for gardenwatering, and in this respect may be used for economy with a plasticsbottle (usually transparent or semi-transparent) which previouslycontained bottled water or other soft drink and which otherwise would bediscarded. Because of the ready availability of bottles of this nature,a number may first be filled with water, and the pourer attached to themin turn as each is emptied. A pourer of the form described above mayalso be used in the first place for dispensing the bottled-water orother soft drink for consumption, and indeed such a pourer may beadapted for attachment to the neck of a wine bottle and used fordispensing the wine therefrom.

1. A liquid-pourer for attachment to the neck of a bottle, comprising: aspout-portion having a front end, a rear end for coupling to the bottleexternally of the bottle-neck, and two elongate passageways extendingparallel to one another between the rear and front ends of thespout-portion to open into and from the bottle, a first of thepassageways being operable for discharging liquid when pouring from thebottle and a second of the passageways being operable for admitting airto the bottle when the second passageway is located above the firstpassageway during pouring; and an elongate handle-portion attached tothe spout-portion to extend both upwardly and rearwardly to overlie thebottle when the second passageway is above the first passageway duringpouring; wherein the spout-portion has a spigot that projects from therear end of the spout-portion for entering the bottle-neck for supportof the bottle from within the bottle-neck during pouring, and the firstand second passageways extend through the spigot from the front end ofthe spout-portion to open respectively from and into the bottle.
 2. Theliquid-pourer according to claim 1 wherein the spout-portion isgenerally cylindrical and the first and second passageways are ofcomplementary segmental cross-section and extend parallel to one anotherlengthwise of the spout-portion.
 3. The liquid-pourer according to claim1 wherein the spout-portion and handle-portion are of molded plastics.4. The liquid-pourer according to claim 3 wherein the spout-portion andhandle-portion are molded integrally with one another.
 5. Theliquid-pourer according to claim 1 including means for screw-threadattachment of the spout-portion to the neck of the bottle.
 6. Theliquid-pourer according to claim 1 including a resilient clip-elementfor snap engagement under a portion of the neck of the bottle.
 7. Theliquid-pourer according to claim 1 attached to the neck of a bottle forpouring liquid from the bottle.
 8. The liquid-pourer according to claim1 including a collar attached to the spout-portion, the spigotprojecting from the rear end of the spout portion through the collar,and the collar being internally screw-threaded for screw-threadedattachment to the neck of the bottle externally of the neck.
 9. Aliquid-pourer, for attachment to the neck of a bottle, comprising: aspout-portion having a front end, a spigot projecting rearwardly fromthe front-end for location within the neck of the bottle for support ofthe bottle, and means for engagement with the neck externally of thebottle for holding the spout-portion fast to the bottle with the spigotwithin the neck; and an elongate handle-portion attached to thespout-portion to extend both upwardly and rearwardly with respect to thespout-portion; the spout-portion having a first elongate passageway thatextends through the spigot to the front end for discharge of liquid fromthe front end in pouring from the bottle, and a second elongatepassageway extending from the front end through the spigot for admittingair to the bottle from the front end, the second passageway extendingparallel to the first passageway between the first passageway and thehandle-portion.
 10. The liquid-pourer according to claim 9 wherein thespout-portion is generally cylindrical and the first and secondpassageways are both of segmental cross-section, and the cross-sectionsof the first and second passageways are complementary to one another.11. The liquid-pourer according to claim 9 wherein the spout-portion andhandle-portion are of molded plastics.
 12. The liquid-pourer accordingto claim 11 wherein the spout-portion and handle-portion are moldedintegrally with one another.
 13. The liquid-pourer according to claim 9wherein the mechanism for engagement with the neck externally of thebottle for holding the spout-portion fast to the bottle comprises amechanism for screw-thread attachment of the spout-portion to the neckof the bottle.
 14. The liquid-pourer according to claim 9 wherein themechanism for engagement with the neck externally of the bottle forholding the spout-portion fast to the bottle, comprises a resilientclip-element for snap engagement under a portion of the neck of thebottle.
 15. The combination comprising a bottle having a neck and aliquid-pourer attached to the neck for pouring liquid from the bottle,wherein the liquid-pourer comprises: (a) a spout-portion having a frontend, a spigot projecting rearwardly from the front-end to locate withinthe neck for support of the bottle during pouring, and means forengagement with the neck externally of the bottle for holding thespout-portion fast to the bottle with the spigot located within theneck; and (b) an elongate handle-portion attached to the spout-portionto extend both upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the bottle;wherein the spout-portion has a first elongate passageway that extendsthrough the spigot to the front end for discharge of liquid from thefront end in pouring from the bottle, and a second elongate passagewayextending from the front end through the spigot for admitting air to thebottle from the front end, the second passageway extending parallel tothe first passageway between the first passageway and thehandle-portion.